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(THE GIST OF PIB) Purulia Observatory

(JANUARY-2025)

A new observatory set up by the S N Bose Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBCBS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology in Purulia district of West Bengal.

It is located on the Panchet Hill, Purulia District, West Bengal.
It is equipped with a 14-inch diameter telescope for scientific observations.
The observatory is at a height of 600 meters above ground level and at longitude of approximately 86° E.
It will be a major observatory not only in eastern India, but also in the world.
There are very few observatories along the 86° East longitude, which stretches from the Arctic Ocean to Antarctica. This new observatory will help fill this gap.
It will help in scientific observations of astronomical objects, training students in handling telescopes and recording data.
Other Observatories in India: ARIES Observatory, Nainital, (Uttarakhand), Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur (Tamil Nadu) and Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Hanle, Ladakh etc.